Air scupper



Aug. 11,1959 H. NUTSN ETIAL I 2,898,84

AIR SCUPPER Filed Feb. 1. 1954.

INVENTORS: HAROLD KA/UTSO/V ATT'Y HAROLD G KNUTSO/V AIR SCUPPER Harold Knutson and Harold G. Knutson, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 1, 1954, Serial No. 407,466

Claims. (Cl. 98-116) This invention relates in general to a ventilator of the power type having opposite openings so that it is more particularly described as a twin power air scupper for discharging air and gases from within a building although it may also be used for general ventilating purposes.

An important object of the invention is to mount a fan of the squirrel cage type to receive air at the center and to discharge it at the periphery in a plurality of outlets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power motor located above the fan and suitably connected thereto outside \of the fluid path of the air through the fan so that the fan is not obstructed and the motor is located in an accessible place for attention and repair.

A further object of the invention is to combine a fan and a motor mounting in close relation and in compact arrangement so that the flow through the fan is not interrupted by the driving motor and that the fan is sufliciently housed in a container which is only slightly larger than the fan itself.

A still further object of the invention is to provide automatic self-closing louvers at the outlets of the fan housing such that the flow of fluid through the fan will cause the louvers to open and close automatically.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of an air scupper vent in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view as taken 40!} the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a discharge louver as taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view of one end of the motor mountings as taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

In carrying out this invention, a fan housing only slightly larger than the fan itself and having opposite or twin openings is mounted on a supporting base and a driving electric motor therefor is mounted in a separate housing at the top of the fan housing and the fan is supported by a shaft so that a direct drive and an efficient arrangement of the parts is obtained in which the motor and fan housings are reduced to a minimum for the comparative capacity of the ventilator. Larger sizes may be belt driven.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a ventilating fan of the outer bladed or so-called squirrel cage type is arranged in vertical position with a some what stifi supporting plate 12 at the upper ends of the blades. This fan is connected at its center to a shaft 14 of an electric motor 16 which is mounted above the fan and has a bearing block 18 fixedly secured to the shaft by a set screw 20 or other suitable fastening means and rotatable in a top plate 36 for the fan housing as described. The fan may be connected for rotation with the shaft and this bearing block in any suitable manner as for example by means of split bushings 22 which fit within a wedging collar 24 at the under side of the plate 2,89%,843 Patented Aug. 11, 159

12, the split bushings being pressed upwardly into the collar and the collar held against the under side of the plate 12 and into the block 18 by long bolts 26.

For mounting this construction, there is a supporting base 23 having a downwardly turned curb flange 36 at the outer edge or edges thereof by means of which the base may be secured over the outer rim of a ventilator well opening. In the center of the base is an outlet opening with an upwardly curved deflector 32 which fits within the blades of the fan 10 and the upper edge of this deflector extends just within the lower edge of the fan so that air or gases are admitted to the inner central portion of the fan therefore providing for a large volume discharge.

Surrounding the fan is an enclosing housing having outwardly curving side walls 34 and a top. plate 36 in which the bearing block 18 is rotatable. The side walls are similarly curved but are oppositely disposed and curve outwardly from adjacent the outer periphery of the fan at opposite points to provide an increasing spiral outlet passageway 38 leading from each opposite side of the fan to a location spaced from the inner portion of the other opposite side wall and substantially tangent to the fan periphery. At the ends of the two side walls 34 forming such increasing curved passageways 38 are vertically inclined openings 40 also formed by the top plate 36, the side wall 34, an extension 42 of the inner end of the side wall and the bottom formed by the top of the supporting base 23.

With this arrangement, there is an opening 40 at each outer end of each of the curved plates 34 and the opening is inclined vertically by offsetting the top plate 36 inwardly from a projection 44 at the outer edge of the top of the base 23. In this inclined opening 40, a door 46 is mounted to swing upon a pivot 48 at the upper edge of the door and the lower end abuts the projection 44 at the lower edge of the door. lhus the door is substantially rectangular in shape and is adapted to swing outwardly therefrom due to pressure from the rotation of the fan and the weight of the door causes it to close automatically against the lower projection 44 when the fan is not rotated.

The motor 16 is preferably of the vertical shaft type and the lower side of the motor is supported upon a base plate 50 which in turn is supported upon the top plate 36 of the fan housing. Since portions of the plate 50 also extend adjacent the curved edges of the flaring portions of the housing formed by the curved plates 34, the housing structure is sufliciently strong to support a motor of the necessary weight to drive the Ventilator fan. The motor is also enclosed in a housing 52 comprising sheet metal walls extending over the base plate 50 and a roof or top 54 for the housing somewhat angular in form, raised in the center and having projecting peaks 56 at opposite ends. Within the peaks and extending to the upper edges of the housing at the ends are metal screens 58 which provide ventilation in the housing 52 for the motor.

Although no particular fastening means for connecting the housing parts together and to each other are shown, they may be riveted, bolted, spot-welded and secured by fastening clips in any well known manner. In the top of the supporting base 28 are a number of embossed holes 65 and 62 for fastening the entire structure to a supporting curb.

Although this construction is strongly made and not likely to get out of order, it is easily erected and accessible for repair or replacement, the fan may be reached through the opening formed by the deflector 32 and the motor 16 is easily accessible by removing the housing (52 and if it is to be bodily removed, the base plate 50 is removed from the supporting top plate 36.

In operation, the fan is supported directly by the motor or by a central shaft corresponding to the motor shaft 14 and since it surrounds the opening in the base 28, air and gases are drawn upwardly through the opening and forcedoutwardly by the fan as it is rotated into either one of the opposite outwardly flaring passageways 38 which are normally closed by the doors 46. Rotation of the fan causes suflicient pressure in the housing and in the passages 38 to opening doors 46corresponding to the amount of pressure developed. The doors are inclined and may be provided with springs surrounding the pivot and tending to assist the opening or closing of the door depending upon the weight thereof and the pressure developed. in the ventilator. housing. Preferably, however, the door is nearly balanced so that when the fan is operated, the opposite doors 46 will be open and when the pressure of the fan decreases to a predetermined amount, the doors will automatically close of their own weight against the bottom stops 44 as provided.

With this construction, this air scupper may be provided in various sizes and if desired, the number of outlets may be decreased to one or increased to three, four or more by reducing the length of each of the curved side walls 34 and by similarly connecting the required number together about the periphery of the fan.

While we have thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention in some detail, it should be regarded as an illustration or example rather than as a limitation or restriction of the invention, since various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. An air scupper ventilator comprising a fan having peripheral blades and a central free opening, housing means for the fan comprising a supporting base with a central opening leading to the interior of the fan, a top plate for supporting the fan from its upper end, the housing means havingside walls includingcurved plates extending gradually outward from opposite outer peripheral edges of the fan which with the base and top plate form outwardly flaring passages terminating in rectangular substantially vertical door openings inclined rearwardly at the tops and facing in substantially reverse direction at opposite sides of the ventilator, power means connected centrally to the upper supporting top plate .of the fan housing for rotating the fan, and inclined doors hinged at the upper ends of the door openings of, the passages and adapted to be closed by gravity against the said base,

which are opened by pressure created by the fan within the housing.

2. An air scupper ventilator comprising a fan having peripheral blades and a central free opening, housing means for the fan comprising a supporting base with a central opening leading to the interior of the fan, the fan having a stiff supporting plate at its upper end, side walls for the housing means including curved plates forming outwardly flaring passages curving outwardly from the fan and terminating in vertical rectangular substantially reverse door openings at opposite sides of the fan, the housing means including a top plate secured to the upper edges of the said side walls, a power shaft extending through the top plate of the housing means and through the top supporting plate for the fan, means to connect the shaft to the top supporting plate of the fan for rotating the fan within the housing, the power shaft having a bearing block secured thereto, the housing means top plate having an opening through 'which the bearing block extends, the top supporting plate for the fan abutting the lower end of the bearing block, said means to connect the shaft to the supporting plate for the fan comprising cooperating wedging means secured to the underside of the fan supporting plate and to the shaft and fastening means extending through said cooperating means and through the said top supporting plate for'the fan into the bearing block for securing the shaft and block to the fan supporting plate and With the latter rotatably in spaced relation below. the top plate'of the enclosing housing means.

3. In an air scupper ventilator in accordance with claim 2, a driving motor'secured to the shaft, a base plate for supporting the motor resting upon the top plate of the housing means, and opposite sides of the base plate extending adjacent the upper ends of side walls for the housing means for vertical support thereby.

4. In'an air scupper ventilator in accordance with claim 3, an enclosure'for the motor extending around the base plate for supporting the motor and the enclosure having an angular roof with peaked ends extending outwardly beyond the side walls of the motor enclosure, and a ventilator opening inthe peaked end extending from the top to the upper edge of the motor enclosure.

5. An air scupper ventilator comprising a vertical squirrel cage fan having a central opening, means forming a housing for the fancomprising a base with a downwardly extending outer flange, an upwardly extending deflector having an inlet opening located centrally of the opening'of the fan and the inner edge of the deflector opening extending upwardly within the lower edge of the fan, the fan having astitf supporting top plate at the upper end supporting the blades thereof, said housing means for the:fan including curved side walls erected vertically upon the base and atop plate secured on the side walls, the curved side walls with the base and top plate together forming increasing and flaring passageways with substantially vertical end openings extending in reverse directions on opposite sides of the base, the outer edge of each side wall forming an acute angle with the base and the ends of the passageways formed thereby being inclined outwardly at the bottoms and each having a door pivoted at the top and opening outwardly therefrom and normally closed against the base by gravity, a driving motor mounted on the top of the fan housing having a shaft extending downwardly therefrom through the stiff top plate of the fan, means engaging the shaft and the stiff top plate of the fan for holding the fan in spaced relation below the top of its housing and for suspending the fan for rotation within its housing and surrounding the inlet opening of said deflector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

